


Petroclus to Achilles

by hickorysleeve



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Gen, M/M, fluffy bullshit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-05
Updated: 2014-06-05
Packaged: 2018-02-03 11:15:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1742768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hickorysleeve/pseuds/hickorysleeve
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>quick one shot based off a tumblr prompt - Bucky and Steve become the unwitting example of love between warriors.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Petroclus to Achilles

It starts out as some gossip rag Natasha picks up for them, several months after James has made his first post-Winter Soldier appearance with the rest of the Avengers.  She’s practically cackling as Steve and James read through the article that speculates on their familiarity and intimacy to a degree that makes Steve frown in consternation.  James throws the thing away and resolves that he’ll be less casual in public—but that makes Steve frown for entirely different reasons, which makes James flush a bit, and Natasha is practically in stitches at the both of them being so worked up about a  _tabloid_.

But then, one day, after a run with Sam when the three of them are out for coffee, talking quietly and James has his head against Steve’s shoulder, he notices a nervous, waifish boy watching them.  They hold gaze for a while, until James gets up and goes over to the kid, who looks almost bated.

"You.  You’re James Barnes, right?  And that’s Captain America?"

"Steve," James corrects, because he will never refer to Steve as Captain America, barely does it when he dons the uniform.

The kid smiles brightly at him.  ”I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare but, I was wondering…”

"Yes?"

"…are you two…?"  He fidgets a little bit and glances between them, and James blinks at the sheer  _hope_ glistening in his eyes.  It takes James a moment to process the unspoken question, before he nods quietly.

The kid looks ready to cry, though, even though he’s smiling.  ”I.  That’s really great.  That’s really—it’s just great, that you two have each other.”  He sighs.  ”I hope I can have someone like that some day.”

The words sit with James for a long while after that, and come back to him when Steve receives an email from a national LGBT organization asking them to be present for a gala.  Steve makes a face—he hates public appearances, James remembers—but James coaxes him into agreeing.

As they’re getting ready for it, James smoothing out Steve’s suit lapels, he tells Steve about the skinny young man in the cafe months ago, and Steve looks at him and smiles softly.

"Did we just become unwitting spokespeople for homosexual acceptance?"

James laughs.  ”Who’s gonna argue when Captain America says it’s okay to be gay?”

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this prompt on the imaginebucky tumblr: http://imaginebucky.tumblr.com/post/87842968379/imagine-bucky-and-steve-discovering-that-both-pop


End file.
